“We are excited about Marlon becoming a member of the University of Pittsburgh community and I know he is ecstatic to be coming aboard,” Dixon said. “As a former point guard with strong knowledge of the game, Marlon will help us in recruiting, scouting and player development. We are fortunate to have a coach with his well-rounded background. Marlon is also extremely excited to be a part of our staff considering his family ties to Pittsburgh.”

“Actually, my pursuit is to become a great assistant coach right now. In the future, I want to become a head coach,” Williamson said. “When you say ‘great assistant,’ you have to fill a lot of bullets. Recruiting is definitely one, but I don’t want to be singled out as just a recruiter. I can get in the film room and break down Xs and Os. The relationship with the players is a huge factor for you as a coach. It’s much easier to play for someone you respect and love versus someone you just play for. That’s what I want to strive for as a professional in this business, being able to relate to the coach, co-workers on the staff, as well as the players and their parents.”

So, like [UMass Coach Derek] Kellogg before him, Williamson made a move to put his career in an upward trajectory.

“This is a big step,” he said. “When you talk about the University of Pittsburgh and ACC, you’ve got to go get players first. Our position as assistants is to put Coach Dixon in a position to be great. I look at coach Dixon as a legend. I don’t think he hired Coach Knight or Coach Barton to be mediocre. We want to give him the tools that he can go coach those guys. Our goal is to win the last game. Why not us?”

These are not bad things for a young assistant.

One other thing to note from his official bio. Even though he played four years at YSU he didn’t complete his degree at that time. Williamson, however, did go back and complete it in 2012. Another sign that he is serious about his ambitions to become a head coach. It is a little thing. But as Steve Masiello learned, it can become a huge barrier to a better job and the subsequent mess hurts the reputation.

The hiring of Williamson also means that Coach Dixon has effectively elevated Brandin Knight to the top assistant position. I guess now it’s just a matter of time before John Calipari poaches him.

The U.S. team played three games and lost all three by an average of 78 points. It wasn’t a surprise because the team played against older international players, including some who could be selected by NBA teams.

“I learned to play overseas, you have to be a lot more physical,” Rowan said. “There is just more physicality compared to the NBA.”

Really? More physical than the NBA?

“You watch LeBron James. He gets touched, he flops and gets a foul called,” Rowan said. “The competition over there was just a lot more physical. Like, when they set screens, they move a little on the screen and bump you harder. And if you went to the hoop, you weren’t getting a call.”

Overall, Rowan said it was “a great experience.” He believes he played against “five or six NBA draft picks.”

Rowan was not close to the main attraction on the US team. In fact, his selection was something of a surprise. At the same time, as noted by the scores, not many of the US players were overly impressive — including Thon Maker. Rowan did make an impression with his shooting.

Class of 2016 Pittsburgh commit Maverick Rowan was the least highly touted recruit here outside of Danta Hales, but held his own. A 6’7 shooter who can also put the ball on the floor and create his own shot a bit, Rowan has a picturesque shooting stroke and nice size for a wing. He may not be a great athlete, but he plays within himself and should give Jamie Dixon’s Panthers an efficient scoring option on the wing down the road.

Also one of the younger players on the squad, so to have a shot that already looks so good is the sort of thing that should make Pitt fans smile.

It is confirmed that Coach Smoke’s dad grew up in Garfield & went to Peabody HS (now Obama Academy). Love the local story line (lest we forget that HCJD’s grandparents spent significant time here as well & HCPC’s Uncle Barry’s from SWPA of course!). Theres good talent in MI & his time in Amherst should’ve provided a roadmap of New England Prep Schools – where theres Smoke theres Fire!
As for our 2016 recruit… not a big fan of parents that hold their kids back so they can dominate their younger classmates (& it starts in kindergarten)- but thats the world we live in. I thought the rumor was that he would have to fall off the radar & prep a year or 2 because the meter on his PIAA eligibility has been running for a long long time? I guess Lincoln Park Basketball Academy is off the radar enough? Ah heck who am I kidding, he comes from great stock, grew up Coach Miller’s lab, seems to be an absolute Pitt lock who has access to other recruits on the elite tour & his stroke is pure sugar (his court vision is legit with an improving handle) h2p

Good news for me, I think–DISH has added ESPN3 access on my mobile devices. Can catch Pitt games on my i-pad and phone when traveling. Remaining downside is poor Verizon DSL bandwidth at home that makes ESPN3 reception of spotty quality (FIOS unavailable where I live).

There is a lot to be optimistic for this fall and especially fall of 2015. I share you enthusiasm!

While there are definitely question marks that will probably cost us an unexpected loss, every Panther fan will hold his/her breath every time Voytik drops back. We may bee thin in some area but coaches will find a way to shuffle players if need be. But you just can’t do that at QB. That’s the one major roadblock to a winning season.

“The Pirates held a moment of silence for both Tony Gwynn and Chuck Noll prior to first pitch on Tuesday.”

I get it for the Emperor, but to my recollection, Tony Gwynn didn’t play for the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins and didn’t star in the Fish that Saved Pittsburgh. So therefore why was he included with the great Chuck Noll ?

Nick, I hear ya Lincoln Park’s “charter” seems to be hoops which is just groovy EXCEPT its a tax payers burden. Fishy. Heron is from NE, he too has changed prep schools a couple (2 or 3 times). As we have all heard (& Dokish confirms) UK hasn’t offered… yet. Best we can hope for is that those in the backcourt they offered choose to go to Lexington leaving MH on the outside looking in. Its a romantic notion to think Slice left the table set for us. We are still a long shot IMO for him as he should get some top tier offers. I would be thrilled to be wrong. Yes Emel, how you take a name brand like Peabody & vaporize it is beyond me BUT its gone – long gone (along with Schenley & Rizenstein). The ‘Dice Rolls on. Speaking of pigskin, Kevan Barlow hailed from there (as did David Logan & Mel Bennett) & I think he played Pee Wee in Garfield – where Smoke’s dad is from! While Mr Conner doesn’t remind me of Barlow identically, I love our legacy of big backs who know just what to do when the get past the front 7! This O line has to gel & take advantage of these next 2 seasons. If they come around we will all be worried that the “charismatic” HCPC will be wooed away & all us pessimistic Pitt loyalists will be tossed in tailspin (for a change). But if he pulls down 17+ wins over the next 2 seasons it will only further solidify his rep as a QB wizard & someone will want him…

Ah, yes, the “blue and gold” boxers. I had hidden in my undies drawer and was planning to not take them out until football season started. But, then it occurred to me that they may have some value during recruiting. So, I have been torn.

Plus, I tend to buy in quantities and stock up on things. When I got out my summer stuff from storage, I found a whole bunch of boxers that are still in their original packages. And, amazingly, there is a back-up pair of “blue and golds.”

Life is very good. And, to answer your question, my wife still does not trust me near the clothes washer. She does welcome me every night to help make dinner—so I am not a total slug.

And, yes, on my toes. Need to be to keep up with you and my other fellow crazies on here.

The Pgh Public schools are in shambles. Peabody was closed & then reopened as Obama. Schenley closed, moved to Reizenstein, then that closed. South High closed about 12 years ago. Oliver closed & those kids now go to Perry. Langley closed & those kids go to Brashear, then Langley was repurposed to a k-8. The old Milliones middle was closed then reopened as a 6-12 & renamed University Prep. Dozens of elementary school have closed. People have flocked to the suburbs to get out of the school district. It’s gotten pretty bad over the last 10 years or so.

Emel, I may mis-remember this, but I think they let the students vote on the name of the Obama Academy. I also think it ended up at the old Peabody HS because whatever building it was previously located in was sold, resulting in Obama relocating to Peabody HS, which had already been closed.

ESPN is doing position ranks for college football since 2000. Pitt only makes the top 10 once, #3 for receivers, but we make top 40 all of the rest.
Kicker – 18
Defensive back – 40
Linebacker – 22
Defensive line – 15
Offensive line – 31
Tight ends – 29
Wide receiver – 3
Running backs – 23
Quarterbacks – 37
That’s not bad for a school that has struggled for decades. How got 37 for quarterback is beyond me.

Upset that the Pirates and MLB gives a Moment of Silence honoring the passing of its greatest hitter since Ted Williams? Just like Coach Noll, Gwynn’s greatness as a person far outreaches his accomplishments in sports.

“Every time I tell myself I’m going to do something, I do it,” (James Conner) said. “Before the bowl game, I said I want to leave with the MVP, and I did that. I said I want to run a 4.4- (second) 40-yard dash, and I did that (in the spring).

And if you’re still a DOUBTER… take a look at the NEW Leaner Version of PITT’S 250 Pound “PANTHER BEAST MODE.”

You won’t find a bigger Tony Gwynn fan me, but calling him the greatest hitter since Ted Williams is comical. Tony Gwynn was a contact hitter — a great one, but a contact hitter nonetheless. To start, I’d take Barry Bonds, Manny Ramirez, and Albert Pujols. And Tony Gwynn would agree — he said as much when talking about Bonds.

Here are some of the rosters for the Summer Pro-am … note the names of DeGroat and Troutman among others. Other notes that Haughton has to take a summer class (on no!) before comingto Pitt and Shaq Doorsen will not be in this summer bus supposed to enroll in the fall. (T J McConnell also is suppsoed to play in Pgh Pro-Am)

Even tough I am in my late 40’s, I must admit, I never saw Billy Knight play. If he was a pure shooter, I’ll stand corrected and modify my statement. Pitt hasn’t had a 6’7″ pure shooter in the last 40 years.

Harris was a better pure shooter than Knight. Knight shot well but was a heck of a slasher. I considered him to be more of a score than a shooter. He was also a very good rebounder, I still consider Knight to be the best Pitt player ever (never saw Hennon play)

He became Pitt’s leading scorer is Sophomore Year, the 1975-76 season. He averaged 22.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg which was 2nd best.

1976-77 season Larry averaged a little more at 22.9 ppg and 6.5 rpg again 2nd on the team.

His senior year ’77-’78 his average dropped a little to 20.6 ppg as Sam Clancy arrived on campus and Larry got a few less shots with Sam averaging 14 ppg. Larry’s rpg dipped a little to with 5.2 rpg as Clancy ripped down over 12 rpg.

As you can see Larry Harris was a very consistent scorer and rebounder and I consider him to be among Pitt’s top players ever.